Exploring Vienna on a Budget - Top free things to do in the city

April 18, 2019

by Ajita Mahajan

Vienna is famous for its baroque architecture and beautifully manicured gardens. You can spend many hours appreciating the city’s strong history and artistic culture.
And what’s even better? You can see and experience so much in the city without even paying a single penny. So this post if for all of you, who are traveling on a budget. Explore the hidden free gems of Austria with this city guide!

Explore the Old City – Hofburg, Albertina, and Judenplatz

Walk around the old parts of Vienna, exploring the Imperial Palace and museums of Hofburg. Climb up the Albertina stairs, that are painted to advertise the “Monet to Picasso” exhibition. March into the dark history of the Holocaust era at Judenplatz – you will see a memorial right in the center that bears the names of all the concentration camps where Austrian Jews were killed.

Enjoy Nature and Grandeur at Schoenbrunn Gardens

You can easily spend 2-3 hours walking through the massive gardens of Schoenbrunn Palace. Take your time admiring the intricate statues and structures that are there throughout the gardens. Take a look at the rest of the city as you hike up to the palace. And when you are there you will get a tiny glimpse of how beautiful the architecture of the palace is.

Priestesses Statue with basket of fruit

City view and the Green Parterre

Gloriette

Visit the traditional Naschmarkt

With more than 100 stalls of traditional food and antiques, Naschmarkt is very interesting and you can spend an entire evening, walking and trying out samples that are offered at food stalls. There are also a few restaurants that you can dine at.

Jewelry and Tees

Restaurants in Naschmarkt

Find quiet amidst the city crowd at Burggarten

Burggarten is located very near to Hofburg and Albertina, and is famous for the discrete Mozart statue. Like other gardens, this garden is also adored by intricate structures and statues. A perfect place to relax and absorb the Viennese beauty.

Equestrian statue of Kaiser Franz I

Mozart Statue

Appreciate the grand architecture of the St. Stephens Cathedral

A perfect example of grandeur and magnificence, located right at the center of Stephansplatz, St Stephens Cathedral is a giant gothic beauty. No words are enough to describe the beauty and intricacies of the cathedral’s architecture. Pay an extra 5 Euro and climb 343 steps up the South Tower. One the climb is very scary, just walking round and round a single pole of stairs, second, the city views are amazing from the top.

Inside the St. Stephen’s Cathedral

Intricate Architecture of the cathedral

343 steps of South that just go round and round

View from the South Tower of the Cathedral

Watch a pretty sunset by the Danube

It is definitely a long walk from the main city to the Brigittenauer Bridge that is build over the Danube river. You can also take a tram to Neue Donau from where it is just a 10-minute walk to the center of the bridge. From the bridge, you will see the sun setting behind the city buildings as they cast their reflection onto the river waters.
On your way back, you can also sit at the Donau Park, just below the bridge.

Climbing the bridge

Sunset by Danube

While there is so much to explore for free in Vienna, if you buy the city pass, you can see much more at a discounted rate. So depending on your budget and interest, see what suits you more!